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W. H. BRIGGS. BREEGH LOADING QRDNANGE.

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No} 475,545. Patented May 24, 1892.

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- BREE-UH LOADING ORDNAKGE.

No. 475,545. Patented May 24, 1892.

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BREEOH LOADING ORDNANGE.

. No. 475,545. Patented May 24, 1 892.

'IWililllHi mmesses; I 5 i liq 0 75? NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM HALE DRIGGS, OF THE UNITED STATES NAVY.

BREECH-LOADING ORDNANCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 475,545, dated May 24, 1892. Application filed January 16, 1892. Serial No. 418,291. (No model.)

. lieutenant, United States Navy, a citizen of the United States, residing at WVashington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Breech- Loading Ordnance; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. I

My present invention relates to certain improvementsin the mechanism of the breechloading gun described in Letters Patent No. 378,828, dated February. 28, 1888. f

It consists especially in'adapting the said gun and mechanism for use with .recoilfmounts and for utilizing the forceof recoil ot' the gun to automatically open the breech. Reference is had to the accompanying drawings, wherein the same numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a gun constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 1" represents a central longitudinal section of the gun. Fig. 2 represents a plan view, partly in section, on the line as of Fig. 3. Fig. 3 represents a viewof the gun from the muzzle. Fig. 4 represents an elevation of the left-hand side of the breech of the gun, the slotted plate being removed to show the locking mechanism. Fig. 5 represents an elevation of the breech of the gun as seen from the rear, parts of the rocking frame being broken away. Fig. 6 represents an elevation of the right-hand side of the breech of the gun, showing "the trigger arrangement. Fig. 7 represents a vertical sectional view on the line a; a; of Fig. 6. Fig. 8 represents an elevation of the slotted plate, showing itremoved from the bar In Fig. 4 and turned over to show the slot therein. Fig. 9 represents a vertical sectional view on the line y y of Fig. 8. Fig. 10 represents a detail sectional view on the line 2 z of Fig. 4. Fig. 11 represents a detail view of the slotted arm formoving the shaft. Fig. 12 is a detail view showing a modification, in which the opsectional view on the line roof Fig. 12. Fig. 14 is an elevation of the left-hand side of the rear end of the gun, showing the locking device to be used when the operating mechanism is placed on the right-hand side.

1 designates the body of the gun, and 2 designates a band which is screwed upon the gun at or near its center of gravity and carries the recoil-cylinder 3. The said band-2 has longitudinal projections 4 4 along the sides thereof, which slide in corresponding grooves 5 5 in a rocking frame 6. The rocking frame 6 has two parallel sides open to the rear and connected at the front by an angular frame 7, preferably cast in one with the parallel sides, and has the usual trunnions 8 cast integral therewith, which are .mounted in the usual manner in any suitable gun-mount. This rocking frame may be out off, as shown at the dotted lines 9 9 in Fig. 3, or the two sides may be connected together beneath the gun, as shown at 10.

From the center of the frame 7 a piston-rod 11 extends rearwardlyiuto the recoil-cylinder 3 and carries at its rear end a piston 12, (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1,) snugly fitting the interior of the said cylinder. A stiii? coil-spring 13 (also shown in dotted lines) is placed around the piston-rod between the piston and the front head of the cylinder? all-thistl spring is strong enough to run .the guniback to the firing position afterthe recoih. Contracting passages 3 for the liquid may bearranged either in the interior of the cylinder or on the exterior of the piston.

The breech mechanism is similar that describedin thepaten't toDriggsandShroeder, No. 378,828, granted February 28, 1888, and consists of the breech-block 15, mounted upon the shaft 16, which latter extends through the breech of the gun and serves to operate the breech-block. The details of the apparatus located within the breech of the gun for opening and closing the breech-block are fully shown in the said patent and not being a part of the present invention are not described herein. 7

On one end of the shaft- 16, preferably on the left-hand side of the gun, is secured a le 50 crating mechanism is placed on therightver 17, by means of which the shaft may be hand side of the gun. Fig. 13 is a horizontal turned to open and close the breech of the tends parallel with the gun, terminating a little lower than and just in rear of the lever 17. A plate 22 is bolted upon the side of the bar at its rear end and extends upwardly at the side of the lever 17, and said plate is cut away, as at 23, to allow free inspection-of the connection of the lever 17 and shaft 16.

This plate is further provided atits rear edge with a downwardly-extending curved slot 24,

the lower end of which is inclined upward to l the surface of the plate, as'at 25. When the breech is closed, the lever 17 stands in the position shown in Fig. 4-1'. e.,pointin g toward I the front of the .gun and inclined a little Upon the upper side:

of the lever and inclined forward is a lug or arm 26, having at its upper end a hollow boss or cylinder 27, in which is arranged a springactuated plunger 28.,normally pressed outward against the plate 22.

From the foregoing it will be understood that when the gun recoils the'breech, with the lever17 and mechanism attached thereto, will be carried rearwardly, while the bar 20 and T plate 22 remain stationary. The plunger 28 slides along the inner surface of the said plate until it passes over the inner edge of the slot 24, when it is pushed outward into said slot;

by the spring. This slot is open at its rear side to allow the plunger to move farther in the patent previously referred to.

should the recoil of the gun be greater than usual. ward to the firing position, as hereinbefore described, the plunger 28 will be caught by the forward edge of the slot 24, and the far-. ther movement of the gun will move the shaft 16 forward, while the plunger and arm 26 are held in the slot, thus causing the lever 17 and shaft 16 to turn in the direction of thearrow in Fig. 4, which is the proper direction to open the breech of the gun. As the gun advances the plunger 28 will be forced to ride' down the curved forward edge of the slot until theshaft 1 6 and lever 17 have arrived at.

the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4,

when the breech will be open and ready to receive another cartridge, the empty case I having been ejected by the extractor during the opening of thebreeeh. As the parts near the end of their movements the plunger will ride upon the inclined bottom of the slot and thus be pressed back within the cylinder 27, and when the breech has been fully opened the said plunger will pass out of the slot and be free to slide upon the inner surface of the plate 22. After the cartridge has been inserted the breech is closed by turning the le- 'ver 17 back to its initial position by hand, as

To prevent accidental displacement of the When the gun begins to move for-j breech-block, I employ a locking device, as shown more clearly in Figs. 4 and 10, in which numeral 30 designates aplate which is rigidly secured to the lower rear corner of the left hand side of the gun and is cut away at its front edge to coincide with an arc struck from the center of the shaft 16, and the said plate is bored out in line with the center of the shaft, as at 31, the bore being reduced at the rear end, as at 32. A plunger 33, having an enlarged inner end 34, a head on its rear end, and a lug 36 extending outwardly from its side adjacent to the head, is fitted in the bore of the plate 30 and held in a forward position by a coil-spring 37, placed around the said plunger in the enlarged'part 31 of the bore in position to bear against the enlarged inner end of the plunger. A plate 40,having a boss 41 bored out to fit the shaft 16, is placed upon the left-hand end of the shaft and held in position by a key or feather 42. This plate is cut away at its rear end to correspond'with the curvature of the plate 30, and is bored outin line with the center of the shaft, as at 43, to receive the enlarged end 34 of the plunger 33, by which it and the shaft 16 are locked in the proper position to hold the breech closed. The plate is provided with an inclined or cam surface 44, which will depress the end of the plunger33 as the plate is turned into the position to be locked, and when the slot 43 is reached the plunger 33 is pressed forward, engaging in the hole 43 and locking the breech-block. The lever 17 is made to fit over the boss 41 upon the plate 40 and to turn freely thereon and has a rearward extension 45, the extremity of which is formed into a cam 46 and arranged to act upon the lug 36 of the plunger 33, as Will be seen by reference to Fig. 4. .The plate 40 is provided with lugs 47 and 48, which extend outwardly above and below the extension of the lever 17,but far enough apart to allow the lever to move a short distance without affecting the plate.

WVhen the breech is closed, the aforesaid parts assume the positions shown in Fig. 4, from an inspection of which it will be seen that when the lever begins to turn the first effect of the movement will be to cause the cam 46 to act upon the lug 36 and force the plunger 33 backward, thus unlocking the plate 40. When this has been accomplished, the lower edge of the extension 45 will come in contact with the lug 48 upon the plate 40 and further movement of the lever 17 will cause the said lever, plate, and shaft 16 to turn all together to open the breech of the gun. In closing the breech the extension 45 will act upon the lug 47 to turn the plate 40 and shaft 16 in the opposite direction.

From the right-hand side of the. rocking frame 6 a bar 50 extends rearwardly parallel with'the gun,and to the rearend of this bar any suitable shoulder-piece 49 may be attached. A casting or plate 51 is bolted to the bar 50 at a point about even with the rear end of the gun, and this casting has on its outer side a -ing the gun.

pistol-grip 52 for the hand to grasp in fir- The casting 51 is bored to fit a rock-shaft 53,which carries at one end a trigger 54. and at its inner end a toe 55. The trigger 56 of the gun is secured to a rockshaft 57, which extends into the breech of the gun and is there connected with any suitable device for tripping the firing-pin. I prefer the firing device shown in the said paten ttoDriggs and Shroeder, No. 378,828, the only change required being that the firing-trigger 56 be pressed by the arm 55 instead of by the finger of the person firing the gun. The same rock shaft 57 isjournaled at its outer end in a lug 58, secured to the side of thegun, and the trigger 56 projects below the said lug, and when the gun is in position for firing the lower end of the trigger rests lightly against and to rear of the toe 55 of the rock-shaft 53, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6 and solid lines in Fig. 7. Thus if the trigger 54: be pressed backward it will transmit motion to the rock-shaft 53 and move the toe 55 in the same direction, thus pressing the trigger 56 backward to trip the firing-pin and discharge the gun. When the gun recoils, the trigger 56 will simply move backward from the toe 55, and when the gun returns to the firing position the trigger will also return with it. The position of the parts is regulated, so that when the gun'has moved as far forward as possible the trigger will come against the toe 55 in the position for firing.

In Figs. 12, 13, and 14: I have illustrated a modification of my invention, in which I place the slotted plate for operating the breech mechanism on the bar 50 on the right instead of the left side of the gun, thereby simplifying the construction, since the bar 50 is necessary, in order to sight the gun from the shoulder, and may be made to carry all the breech-actuating mechanism,thus doing away with the bar 20. In a suitable opening in in the bar 50 is hinged, as at .60, a plate 61, the upper edge of which is secured in place by the screws 62. This plate is provided on its inner side with a downwardlypurved slot 63, similar in all respects to the slot 24 in the plate 22, with the exception that instead of opening through the back edge of the plate it is extended rearwardly, as at 64, to allow for variations in the recoil of the gun. In this instance the crank upon the righthand side of the shaft is substituted for the arm 26 and carries at its upper end the cyl inder 27 and plunger 28, hereinbefore described, the operation being the same as in the former instance. In this modification the trigger and tripping mechanism will be placed farther back in any suitable position, so as not to interfere with the plate 61, and in lieu of the locking attachment hereinbefore described the hand-lever 66 for closing the breech will be placed upon the left-hand side of the gun and will have a rearward extension 67, carrying at its end a spring-catch 68, which, when the breech is closed, will take .into a recess 69 in the side of the gun, and

thus hold the shaft from accidental displacement. The recess 69 has one side sloping or inclined, as at 7 O,'to allow the catch to pass out when the shaft 16 is turned, and yet to cause sufficient friction to hold the parts from accidental displacement.

While I have shown the device for opening the breech of the gun as actuated by the counter-recoil of the gun, it will be obvious that by a simple transposition of parts the same object may be accomplished upon the direct recoil.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In a breech-loading gun, the combination, with a trunnioned rocking frame having a bar protruding to the rear of and rigidly attached to said frame, of a cam attached to said bar, a rock-shaft set transversely across the breech of the gun and actuating the breech-block, an arm on said rock-shaft, and a spring-plunger attached to said arm and adapted to engage said cam and so turn said rock-shaft, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. In abreech-loading gun, the combination, with a trunnioned rocking frame having a bar protruding to the rear of and rigidly attached to said frame, of a cam attached to said bar, with cam-surface toward the breech of the gun, a rock-shaft set transversely across the breech of the gun and actuating the breech-block, an arm on said rock-shaft, and a spring-plunger attached to said arm and adapted to engage said cam as the gun moves forward from the end of the recoil and so turn said rock-shaft, substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. Ina breech-loading gun,the combination, with a trunnioned rocking frame and a device for returning the gun to the initial position afterit has been fired, of a bar rigidly attached to said rocking frame and protruding to the rear, a cam attached to said bar with camsurface toward the breech of the gun, arockshaft set transversely across the breech of the gun and actuating the breech-block, an arm on said rock-shaft, and a spring-plunger attached to said arm and adapted to engage said cam as the gun moves forward on the counter-recoil, substantially as and for the purposes described.

4. In a breech-loadinggun, the combination, with a trunnioned rocking frame having a bar protruding to the rear of and rigidly attached to said frame, of a Hat plate attached to said bar, said plate having a curved groove cut in its interior face, the said groove being open to the rear of the plate and having an incline at its lower front portion, a rock-shaft set in the breech of the gun and actuating the breech-block, an arm on said rock-shaft, and a spring-plunger 011 said arm whose head normally presses against the interior surface of said fiat plate and engages in said curved.

groove as the gun recoils, passing out of the same by the incline upon the counter-recoil, and thus turning said rock-shaft and opening said breech-block, substantially as described.

5. In a breech-loading gun whose breechblock is opened or closed by turning a rocL- shatt, adevice for turning said rock-shaft and forlocking said rock-shaft and breech-block in any desired position,which consists of aslotted arm keyed on said rock-shaft, a spring-plunger-adapted to engage in said slotted arm, the said spring-plunger having a shoulder thereon, and a cam-lever fittingloosely on said rock-shaft and adapted. to, first, engage said shoulder and withdraw said spring-plunger, and, second, engage said slotted arm and turn said rock-shaft, substantially as and for the purposes described.

6. In abreech-loading gun of the character described, a device for locking, unlocking, opening, and closing the breech-block, which consists of a rock-shaft 16, an arm 40, keyed thereon and having slot 43 and lugs 47and 48, a spring-plunger 33, adapted to engage in said slot and having a shoulder 36, a handlever 17, fitting loosely on said rock-shaft, and an arm 45, attached to said hand-lever, moving freely between and adapted to engage either of the lugs 47 or 48, the said arm having a cam-face at its rear adapted to engage the shoulder 36 and release the springloading gun of the character described, the

combination, with the rock-shaft 16, of the arm 40, keyed'thereon and having lugs 47 and 48, slot 43, and cam 44, the spring-plunger 33,

attached to the breech of the gun and having shoulder 36, the hand-lever l7, and the arm; 45, moving freely between said lugs 47 and 48 and adapted to engage either of them and having a cam at its outer end adapted to engage the said shoulder 36 of the plunger 33,

substantially as described.

8. In a recoil-mount for a breech'loading gun of the character described, the combination, with the rock-shaft for actuating the breech-block, of a hand-lever mounted on said rock-shaft, two arms attached to said handlever, the one arm carrying a spring-plunger and the other a cam, a third arm rigidly attached to said rock-shaft and having a camface and a slot therein, a cam attached to said recoil mount and adapted to engage said spring -plunger, and a lockingplunger attached to the breech'of the gun and having a shoulder adapted to be engaged by the cam on the arm attached to said hand-lever, the head of said plunger being adapted to be raised by said cam on said rock-shaft arm and to [it in said slot therein, substantially as described.

9. In a recoil-mount for breech-loading guns, the combination,with atrigger attached to the mount, of a rock-shaft attached to said trigger and having a toe at its opposite end, a second rock-shaft mounted in the breech of the gun and having a tripping device for the firing-pin connected thereto, with a liftingtoe adapted to press against and to rear of said toe on the trigger rock-shaft when the gun is run out, substantially as and for the purposes described.

10. In a recoilmount for breech-loading guns, the combination, with a rocking slide having the bar 50 attached thereto and protruding to the rear thereof, of the rock-shaft 53, mounted in said bar and having trigger 54 and toe 55 at either end thereof,and the rockshaft 57, mounted in the breech of the gun and having the lifting-toe 56 at one end, adapted to bear against the rear face of the toe 55, and a device for tripping the firing-pin of the gun at the other, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM HALE DRIGGS.

Witnesses:

PERCY O. BOWEN, JOHN G. WILsoN. 

